Page:Further India; (IA furtherindia00clif).pdf/385

 than with the duty of adding to the sum of geographical knowledge. The scientific mapping and exploration of Siam did not begin until 1881, when Mr. James Mc- Carthy, of whose work more will be said presently, entered the Siamese service, began a series of interest- ing journeys, and gradually brought into being an effi- cient State survey department.

In the meanwhile in other parts of the Indo-Chinese peninsula European explorers had been busy. M. J. Dupuis, a French merchant, had met Garnier at Han- Kau in May, 1868, and though he claimed originality for his idea, there seems to be little doubt that the notion of opening up a trade-route between Yun-nan and the Gulf of Tongking by means of the Song-Koi was sug- gested to Dupuis by the discoveries made by the French mission. Be this how it may, Dupuis travelled in the province of Yun-nan in 1868 and 1869, but the disturbed state of the country consequent upon the Muhammadan rebellion, prevented him from proceeding beyond Yun- nan-fu. In 1871, by which time he had become a con- tractor for the Chinese army, he left Yun-nan-fu on February 25th bound for Tongking. Travelling over- land in a southerly direction, he struck the Song-Koi at Mang-hao, and navigated it from that point to the sea. He was under contract to bring a cargo of arms and ammunition up the river into Yun-nan, and this he suc- ceeded in doing in 1872, in spite of the opposition of the authorities in Tongking and the difficulties of the river route which he had selected for his operations. At Yun-nan-sen he purchased a cargo of tin and copper, and undertook to bring back a return cargo of salt from